More than 30 awards handed out Tuesday at annual ceremony

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Steamboat Springs  Esther DelliQuadri understands the importance of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, and she also understands the importance of ceremonies like the one at Olympian Hall on Tuesday evening.

“This club is built on the dedication and the commitment of the volunteers, the parents, the athletes and the coaches. We all have to work together as a team, and tonight is kind of a celebration of the team effort everybody puts forth.”

DelliQuadri earned the John Fetcher Honorary Sustaining Member award — one of the more than 30 awards that were handed out by the Winter Sports Club. Most of the awards recognized the character traits — hard work, commitment and dedication — that the Winter Sports Club hopes to promote in its athletes and coaches. It also celebrated another banner year for the membership of more than 1,000 athletes. DelliQuadri was thrilled to have earned an honor named after a man she knew and looked up to.

“It’s pretty spectacular,” she said after learning that she had won the John Fetcher Honorary Sustaining Member award at Tuesday’s ceremony. “I think an awful lot of John Fetcher. We were grand marshals (at the Winter Carnival) together many years ago.”

DelliQuadri said she was completely surprised when Rick DeVos, executive director of the Winter Sports Club, called her name.

“My family sent a mass email saying that we all had to be here,” DelliQuadri said. “I wasn’t thinking about it. I just thought it was another Winter Sports Club thing I needed to show up for.”

DeVos said the awards night is one of his favorites each year. It’s a chance to thank the sponsors who support the club and recognize the good things the Winter Sports Club offers to the community.

He said he is proud of the athletes, coaches and volunteers who are honored as part of the ceremony.

“These are the kind of people I’m happy to have represent the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club,” DeVos said. “This is one of the best nights of the season.”

Many of the awards are memorial awards that have been handed out for years. However, this year the club introduced two new awards.

The Chris McNeill Memorial Award, named after the two-time Olympic ski jumper, went to Haley Piske. Lenny and Dori McNeill created the award in memory of Chris, who died unexpectedly in February 2011. The award is given to athletes who may not be stars but show heart while pursuing skiing.

The Winter Sports Club also introduced the Freestyle Pursuit of Excellence Award, which is presented to an athlete who exhibits the positive characteristics that best represent the junior freestyle program. Tallak Myhre was honored and will be the first athlete to have his name on the new award.

In all, the Winter Sports Club honored 33 athletes, coaches and volunteers.